The present invention relates to a terminal connecting structure for connecting a terminal to a conductive end portion of a flat circuit body.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional terminal connecting structure for a flat circuit body disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Publication (OPI) No. Sho. 63-73862. FIG. 7 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along an arrow C--C in FIG. 6. This structure is of a type in which a holding tongue 28 of a terminal 27 is secured and retained onto a conductive end portion 26a of the flat circuit body 25 such as a flat cable or the like. The flat circuit body 25 is provided with a plurality of circuit conductors 26 arranged in parallel and disposed between an upper and lower insulative sheets 29 and 30. The conductive end portion 26a exposes on the lower sheet 30.
On the other hand, the terminal 27 is provided with an electrical connecting portion 31 formed at an end thereof for connecting portion 31 formed at an end thereof for connecting to a mating male connector not shown in the figures, and a retaining tongue 32 and the holding tongue 28 provided at the other end thereof to face each other. The holding tongue 28 is swingable along a base portion 28a acting as a fulcrum. A pair of claw portions 33 are unitary formed on the both sides of an end portion of the holding tongue 28 for binding the retaining tongue 32.
Thus, the conductive end portion 26a is held between the holding tongue 28 and retaining tongue 32, as shown in FIG. 7, and the pair of claw portions 33 of the holding tongue 28 penetrate through the insulative sheets 29 and 30 and bend to hold the retaining tongue 32, so that the terminal 27 is provisionally retained. Further the holding tongue 28 and a center portion of the retaining tongue 32 are welded into the conductive end portion 26a with a spot welding 34, thereby to completely retain the terminal 27.
However, in the above conventional structure, the holding tongue 28 of the terminal 27 projects in a width direction thereof, when a pitch P between the adjacent terminals 27' is designed to be short, the insulation therebetween may deteriorate. Accordingly, a problem may result in that it would be difficult to arrange the circuit conductor 26 with high-density. Further, in the provisionally retained condition of the terminal 27, the terminal 27 may pivotally slide in a width direction (direction of an arrow A--A shown in FIG. 6) along the claw portions 33 acting as a fulcrum. Therefore, there would also cause a problem in undesirably contacting the adjacent terminals 27' after being completely retained.